


Bokura wa hitotsu sa (we are one)

by Shiro_nana



Category: Arashi (Band), Japanese Actor RPF, Johnny's Entertainment
Genre: Actor!Aiba, Actor!Nino, Alternate Universe - Actors, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crossdressing, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Rating May Change, Will add tags as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2019-11-01 20:20:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17874200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shiro_nana/pseuds/Shiro_nana
Summary: World-famous actors Ninomiya Kazunari and Aiba Masaki are chosen to star in the movie adaptation of a best-seller written by the very popular LGBTQ+ author Cherry S.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rainbowemperor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowemperor/gifts).



> The title was taken from the lyrics of UB (I love that song and the Nino/Aiba dance *.*)

_“And now, the moment that everyone has been waiting for, please welcome the best-selling author Cherry S.!”_

_The audience clapped, and cheering sounds could be heard when the curtain was opened, welcoming a person who was dressed in a high-class white kimono with pink cherry blossom patterns on it and a big deep-red belt. Their make-up was heavy but very artistic, and their hair were perfectly braided._

_“Hello everyone. Thank you for having me here.” The voice of the guest was soft, but definitely masculine, and it seemed to make the cheering voices even louder._

_“Cherry-san! I think that you’re the guest that made our audience the most enthusiastic ever! Well, it’s not every day that we can welcome someone as popular as you in our show!”_

_“I feel really honored. It’s a real pleasure to make my readers happy.”_

_“We’re the one who feel honored. After all, it’s the first time you accept to appear on TV. You’ve been making our hearts beat with your wonderful LGBT-related books, and one of them, **Sunshine** , is finally going to get a movie adaptation! What are your feelings towards this?”_

_“I was really happy when I got the proposition. The team who’s working on the movie project are really beautiful people. They’re all doing their best to keep all the things that made people like the story.”_

_“I’m sure it will be a really successful movie. Can you tell us more about the cast? Have the main characters been chosen yet? Are you part of the casting process?”_

_“I can’t reveal much about that, but what I can say is that I am part of the selecting committee. It is, after all, important to have actors who can relate to the main characters. One of them, Makoto, is very comfortable with his sexuality, not being afraid to be out and proud with his lovers, and the other, Rei, is a little shier, but he completely changes when he’s in drag. Rei is a little bit like me. I’m a really shy man, but I feel fabulous when I’m dressed like I am today.”_

_“So, you actually identify as a man?”_

_“I do. I’m a queer man, but I don’t put any limits to myself when it comes to dressing up. I can be equally comfortable in a suit or in a dress. I’ll be more daring in the latter, though.”_

_“I think it’s really good. That kimono suits you perfectly, by the way.”_

_“Thank you! It was a gift from my grandmother, actually.”_

Ninomiya drifted his eyes away from the screen, giving his manager a questioning look. She was smiling widely, and she seemed eager to tell him something.

“Are you showing me this for the reason why I think you are showing me this?”

“Can you ask a direct question for once, Nino? Anyway, yeah. I am. You were the first choice that was given by Cherry-san himself for Rei’s role.” She couldn’t contain her excitement anymore, showing him the mail that she had received earlier this day. “You’re going to accept, aren’t you?”

“So, basically, you think I would be good as a shy guy who changes personalities when in drag?”

“I think you’re perfect for the role. You’re gay, you’re actually shy around people you don’t know well, and you look absolutely fabulous in drag. You’re also a Cherry S. fan, don’t try to deny it. I’ve seen you read the e-books on your phone while pretending you’re playing a game.”

“You know me too well, Yuko-chan. If I wasn’t gay, I would’ve married you.”

Yuko smiled and hit him playfully.

“Who said I would want you as my husband anyway?”

“A lot of people on this planet wish they had the world-famous actor Ninomiya Kazunari as their husband, so of course miss Takeuchi Yuko wouldn’t be able to resist my charms.”

“Keep dreaming.”

He looked at her with a sad face, but they were soon both laughing at the ridiculous situation.

“If I’ll be playing Rei, then who’s going to be my Makoto?”

“I have no idea. They haven’t specified it. But we have a meeting next week with the movie team. I’m sure your Makoto will be there.”

-

The moment he knew he would get to play the role of Makoto in the movie adaptation of **_Sunshine_** , Aiba Masaki had a reaction that was way different from Ninomiya’s. He jumped from the chair he was sitting on and hugged his manager Kazama until the latter begged him to let him breathe.

“Kazama-pon! I’m going to be Makoto! I’ve been reading this book so many times, and he’s the character I identify the most with.”

“I know that, Aiba-chan. I’ve seen your bookcase, and how it’s mostly filled with Cherry S. books.”

“Isn’t he awesome? How can I not be a fan of his? He was so gorgeous on that TV interview too. I can’t believe he chose me for the role!”

Aiba was elated. He had been a Cherry S. fan since the author’s debut, 17 years ago. It had all started with short stories published in a magazine, which resulted in a first book that was a collection of these stories and some exclusive, previously unpublished ones. Aiba had bought every single book that was published since then, and he also had all the magazines which included a Cherry S. short story, and the rare ones that had exclusive interviews of the shy author.

“I already confirmed your presence at the first meeting with the crew next Tuesday.”

“Will Cherry-san be there?”

“I think so. What I’m sure about is that you get to meet your costar.”

“I can’t wait!” He was really excited to discover the man that was chosen for Rei, and to hopefully meet his favorite author.


	2. Chapter 2

Sakurai Sho was the first to arrive to the meeting room that day. It was definitely easier to navigate without being noticed with his old Keio hoodie, a washed-out pair of jeans and a beanie covering his hair – they were shoulder-length, but he almost always put them up in a bun – than with a dress and some makeup on. No one on the trains he had taken from his apartment in Yokohama to the filming studios in Odaiba would’ve even thought that this regular-looking man in his late 30s was a best-selling author who was on his way to meet the main crew that would work on the movie adaptation of one of his books. Sho himself found it hard to believe that he was now living his life exactly like he had always wanted to, with his dream job and the freedom to publicly appear as he chose to.

Having been raised in a conservative family, in which he had been expected to work in politics like his father and his grandfather before that, hadn’t been easy for young Sho, who had sneaked into his mother’s room as a kid to try her makeup on or asked his grandmother to show him her magnificent kimono collection every single time he had gone to her place. The old woman had been the most supportive person when she had noticed how much he was struggling to stay in the closet during his teenage years.

“You shouldn’t be ashamed of who you are, Sho-chan” She had said to him when he was 16 and trying hard to act like he was straight. “I don’t think that you being different than the other boys of your age will make us reject you. It’s fine of you like makeup and dresses. It’s fine if you don’t have crushes on girls. And it’s also fine if you don’t want to become a politician. Your father might act tough, but if he has anything to say against your actions or decisions, I might kick the ass of that son of mine. I don’t think anyone in the family will stand in your way though.”

Sakurai Sumire had been right. Sho had come out to his family not long after his grandmother had given him support, and they had all been very unsurprised by his confessions. His parents had financed his literature major studies at Keio University – they had wanted him to graduate from that university, since it had been a tradition in their family – and they had celebrated with him, his siblings and his grandparents for every single book he had published.

When the first one had been confirmed for publication, Sumire had invited him over, preparing his favorite dishes for him and opening a bottle of the oldest wine she had.

“Which one of my kimonos you think is the prettiest for a happy event?”

Sho had gone through the silk fabrics, picking a white one with cherry blossom patters on it.

“I think this one, if you wear it with a red obi, would not only enhance your natural beauty and grace, but it will make you look bright and happy, because the patterns would give the illusion of moving when it’s worn.”

“It’s decided then. This kimono is yours, Sho. I will give you one of my red obis too. You should wear it to show the world how beautiful you are.”

It had been a very emotional moment for Sho, who had promised his grandmother to wear it when he would make a public appearance. He had worn it a couple of times on private gatherings or celebrations with the company who had been publishing his work, and he had finally shown it to the whole world when he had accepted to appear on TV for an interview about his books and the upcoming movie adaptation. He had received a call from a very enthusiastic Sumire who told him that she had recorded the show and that she would re-watch it every day.

Sho had already had a few propositions in the past for an adaptation of his writings, but they had all wanted to somehow change some fundamental things that were dear to him without wanting to compromise. Ohno Satoshi had been different with his offer. He was quite famous as a genius movie director who worked in unconventional ways. He had been very direct with Sho from the start, asking to meet up with him and have a one-on-one discussion to see if the author would be interested. They had met in a private room in a traditional restaurant, sharing both a delicious mean and their interesting views. They had formed an unexpected instant friendship, and the movie project had started soon after. Sho was very happy to have been given the choice to suggest actors names, and he was really excited to meet the ones that he had chosen for the main characters and who had fortunately given their approval.

Ohno and some other staff members had entered the meeting room a little after Sho, and the first main actor who had arrived for the meeting was Ninomiya. The man was very calm, introducing himself briefly before sitting down next to a very elegant lady who was his manager. Aiba had come a couple of minutes later, going for individual handshakes instead of a simple general bow.

“Sakurai Sho, but I think you might know me more as….”

“Oh my god! That voice! Cherry-san… I… I can’t believe you’re here! I’m a huge fan of yours! I read all your books… more than once! Oh my god!” He then seemed to notice that he was almost crushing Sho’s hand. “I’m so sorry! I’m just. I wasn’t expecting to see you, well at least not as a man… not that you’re not equally gorgeous. I’m sorry for being such a mess… I should shut up. I’m just so happy!”

Sho was very amused. _I really made a good choice of actors,_ he thought.

“It’s ok, Aiba-san. I feel very honored by your enthusiasm, and I can tell you that I’m also a fan of yours, and Ninomiya-san, of course. I am sure that the two of you will be able to bring Makoto and Rei to life like no one else would be capable of.”

Aiba abruptly turned around to look at Ninomiya, smiling widely and going towards the man to shake his hand.

“I hope we will get along for this movie, Ninomiya-san. It’s the first time we get to work together, but I’m really excited to act with the international star that you are!”

“You’re also world-famous, Aiba-san.” Ninomiya smiled timidly. “I look forward to working with you too.”

_A really good choice indeed,_ Sho smirked, looking at Ohno who smiled knowingly.

-

The first meeting for the movie had gone better than what Ninomiya had expected. He was a little dubious when it came to the organization at first, because the initial email didn’t contain any details, but he had instantly understood that it would be a great experience when he had seen Ohno Satoshi in the meeting room. He had already worked with the man once, but it had been a brief experience more than 10 years ago, and he had been the assistant director at that time. Although Ohno was now one of the top movie directors in the world, he was still the same man from before, looking like a sleepy fisherman who never used sunscreen.

Nino was also surprised by the fact that Cherry S. – or, well, Sakurai Sho – himself had been a part of the meeting. He was a very simple, almost lame in terms of fashion, and he didn’t talk much, only adding a brief comment when he was asked for his opinion. Aiba Masaki was the complete opposite, with a very demonstrative way of voicing his enthusiasm and a big smile that illuminated the room. Throughout the meeting, Nino could see how much the Author’s choice had been perfect when it came to Makoto, and it motivated him to do his best with the portrayal of his own character.


	3. Chapter 3

As usual, Sho was early. He was supposed to meet Ohno Satoshi at Yoyogi station around 11 am, and they would go to take a look at the costumes to see if everything was good before the firming would start.

Ohno showed up on time, and they started walking towards the main stylist’s atelier.

“Jun-kun’s a freelance stylist, and he mostly works on private projects. He has worked with a lot of different people, including drag queens. He’s honestly amazing.”

“I trust you on this, Ohno-san. And it seems like you’ve known this person for a while.”

“Well, I have known him for more than 30 years! He’s a childhood friend of mine. And he’s also the one who introduced me to your books. He likes your stuff. That’s why I think that there’s no one else but him who can make those costumes perfectly.”

They reached an old building and Ohno led them to the 2nd floor. He then rang the doorbell for 202. The man who opened the door for them looked like he really needed some sleep, but he was nonetheless quite beautiful. His brown hair was cut short, and his eyes were framed by big glasses. His full lips formed a smile when he noticed Ohno, and Sho was trying hard not to stare at the moles that were around that area.

“Ohno-kun! You’re right on time. I just finished one of the main pieces.” He turned to Sho. “I’m Matsumoto Jun, and if you came here with Ohno, then you’re most probably related to the movie.”

Sho smiled and introduced himself.

“Sakurai Sho.” He could see the recognition in Matsumoto’s eyes. “You could say I am very much related to the movie.”

“You’re Cherry S., aren’t you?”

“You seem like you were expecting me to show up in a dress with full make-up on.”

Matumoto blushed.

“No… It’s not that… I was just maybe… expecting something more… fashionable? Not to be rude, but, those fake jeans…”

The man looked like the mere sight of his pants was an abomination.

“What’s wrong with being comfortable?”

“How about showing us your work, Jun-kun?” Ohno seemed very amused by the situation, and Sho was glad he had interrupted them.

Matsumoto led them to a room with a lot of mannequins and a sewing table. A man with pink hair was working on what seemed to be a multicolored skirt. He smiled at them and nodded in greeting before going back to work.

“This is my assistant, Masuda. He’s working on another project, but we’ve already made most of Ninomoya-san’s clothes.” He walked to another part of the room. “We’ve taken all measurements already, but we will fix the details when he will try it on.”

Sho then looked at the mannequins that Matsumoto was standing next to, and it felt like the man had reproduced the exact images that he had in mind while writing the book.

“Sho-san? Is there something wrong?”

He had probably spaced out for some time, because Ohno and Matsumoto were looking at him with curiosity – and worried anticipation for the latter.

“No… It’s actually amazing. You were right, Ohno-san. No one else can make these clothes so perfectly!”

Matsumoto’s face lit up.

“I’m really happy you think so.” He then added in a timid voice. “I did read **_Sunshine_** a bunch of times, so that probably helped.”

“Thank you for your efforts! And thank you for reading my work.”

They went to the sitting room for some tea and snacks, and Matsumoto was in a really good mood.

“You know, Sakurai-san. I’m actually a big fan of yours. Well, not a fan of your fake jeans…” Ohno and chuckled at that. “But I’d love to make clothes for you once this project is over.”

“Here we go. Jun-kun won’t let you leave this place before taking your full measurements.”

_I wouldn’t mind some **full** measurements at all, _Sho thought while feeling his face heat up.

“I… It would be an honor for me. Since Matsumoto-san disapproves of my so-called fake jeans, I’d love to see what he has in mind for me.”

He could feel Matsumoto’s eyes on his body, and he forced himself to stop thinking about inappropriate things. It was a particularly hard thing to do while the stylist was going all over him with a measurement tape, but it was thankfully quickly done.

_Why am I reacting like a teenager? I already passed the age of awkward boners and childish crushes. He’s really gorgeous, though._

-

When Ninomiya tried on the first dress that was made for him, he felt beautiful. The filming would start in a couple of weeks, but they had to adjust the clothes and take some promotional pictures first. Aiba would be there later, because the other man didn’t need as much preparation time as Nino.

“I think it suits you perfectly now. I’m glad no major adjustments are needed.”

The stylist, Matsumoto, seemed satisfied with his work. The dress was indeed a piece of art, and it gave off the same impressions that Nino had when he had read the book. The make-up artist had also done a great job with his face, even though he had been way too talkative, making jokes about how their names were written with similar characters but pronounced differently.

“Oh wow! You look stunning, Ninomiya-san. Or should I say, Rei-kun~”

Aiba had arrived, and he was looking at him intensely, which made Nino thankful for the heavy foundation that would hide his blush.

“Well, thank you Aiba-san.” He answered in a voice that sounded more confident that he actually felt. He kind of understood how Rei could act when he was in the same condition as him, because his appearance gave him courage and he could see himself acting in a provocative way like his character did when he was in drag.

“I wish I could be as fabulous as you with female clothing. I’m such a failure when I cross-dress. It’s mostly my inability to walk properly with a dress and high-heels.”

“It’s such a pity, though.” Matsumoto said while giving him the clothes that he would wear. “You have great legs, Aiba-san.”

“Thank you, Matsujun! And you guys should stop being so formal with me. You can drop the ‘san’, or just call me Masaki. We’re around the same age, after all. Matsujun is 35 and I’m 36. How about you, Ninomiya-san?”

“I’m 35. And if we’re dropping formalities, you should call me Nino.”

Aiba grinned and went to the changing room.

“Matsujun is a nice nickname! Should I call you that?” Nino looked at the stylist.

“Aiba-kun started calling me this way out of the blue while I was taking his measurements, so I didn’t have a say in that nickname. You can call me whatever you want to.”

“Great! I shall call you J, then.”

“Why?”

“You look like a J to me!”

Matsumoto sighed, but he couldn’t hide his small timid smile.


	4. Chapter 4

The photoshoot was really going well. Jun was proud of his work, and his inner Cherry S. fanboy was very excited to see how naturally the main actors seemed to get along. Ohno had told him that it was Sakurai who had suggested those two when he had asked, and that he had agreed with him right away. Jun blushed when he thought back on his first meeting with the author. He had had an instant reaction on the man’s fashion sense, but he had been so pleased by the compliment he had received on the outfit he had showed both men at that time. He had been a big fan of Cherry S. from the start, and even if he didn’t admit it out loud like Aiba, he also had every single book and magazine that contained the author’s works or rare interviews. He had even recorded the now famous TV appearance, and he watched it a lot.

“I never thought one of my works would come to life as if someone had gone into my head and recreated the exact image.” Sakurai muttered, startling Jun. “Thank you so much for your wonderful work, Matsumoto-san.”

Jun turned around, trying not to cringe at Sakurai’s outfit, camouflage-patterned pants and jacket with a plain white shirt. The man was very attractive, if only he payed more attention to his casual clothes.

“I’m truly happy that it corresponds to what you had in mind, Sakurai-san.”

“I can see that camo doesn’t suit your taste.” Sakurai was looking at him with an amused smile. How did the man notice his distaste, even though he knew how to perfectly hide his emotions? “I’ve been told that I have lame tastes when it comes to everyday masculine clothing. I might impress you with my other stuff though. I just didn’t want to get too much attention when the real stars are working. I’ll have to eventually make official appearances during the filming and for some interviews with the cast. Ohno-san wants me to be involved and make sure that nothing he’s doing goes against my wishes, and I’m apparently needed for the behind-the-scenes bonus documentary.”

“He’s always been a perfectionist in his work. He wants to do things the right way. I know you’ve been refusing a lot of propositions before, but he’s the one you can fully trust. I can guarantee it.”

“I know I can trust him. So… have you been following my work for long?”

Jun blushed, noticing how he had given himself away by talking about something that wasn’t known by a lot of people.

“I told you I’m a big fan.”

“Yeah. Just not of my casual fashion, right?”

Sakurai was looking at him with a teasing grin, and he actually looked cute, even with the camo and all.

“You have your own… style, I guess.”

 

He had his own style indeed, and he was a completely different person when he chose to get noticed. On the first day of filming, Sakurai showed up in a very distracting outfit. He was wearing a simple button-up shirt and a black oversized skirt that went a little lower than his knees and high boots. His makeup was simple, and his hair was up in a tight bun – which was a little different from his usual messy manbun, but equally suited him.

Jun was taking care of Nino when the author came to greet them, and he instantly noticed the man’s very colorful and shiny nails.

“I can’t wait for the filming to start. You are absolutely gorgeous, Ninomiya-san!”

“It’s all thanks to J!” Nino looked a little intimidated by the other man. “You also look really nice, Cherry-san.”

“I hope Matsumoto-san agrees with you.” He then looked at Jun, who was having a hard time not to stare.

“I like your outfit.”

Sakurai’s smile made his heart beat faster and he felt his face heat up.

“And he approves! I told you you’d like my other stuff!”

He then encouraged Nino before going out of the room. Jun then noticed that the actor was looking at him with a smirk on his face.

“What?”

“I bet you’d like _other stuff_ that would involve him minus his clothes.”

“Nino!”

“Cherry Sakurai Sho was flirting with you, and you’re very affected by it. If I were you, I’d go for it.”

“He just wanted me to recognize that his feminine style is good, because his casual masculine one sucks.”

“Sure~”

-

Being the main actor in a story that he had read and enjoyed more than once was very challenging for Nino, because he wanted his performance to be worthy of the original work. However, it was also very enjoyable, and the filming crew was great. His co-star also made things even more interesting, because he was similar to his characters in many points, and Nino wasn’t even trying to repress his growing crush on him. His feelings were seemingly not one-sided either, since Aiba was always close to him when they were not filming, sitting next to him when they had meals with the staff, and he was touchier with Nino than with the rest of the cast. He was also very flirty, and it was very confusing because it wasn’t clear whether he was joking or serious about it.

Aiba Masaki wasn’t only a man who looked like one of his favorite characters in a book he loved, but he was also a very professional actor, who knew how to adapt to his surroundings and rarely made mistakes. When he did, he always had a way of making things funny and everyone relaxed and ready for another take. But sometimes, things went slowly, and some scenes were almost impossible to film.

The settings were the backstage of the club where Rei performed on drag shows, and Makoto would enter and confess to him while he was about to remove his costume, telling him that he loved Rei regardless of the clothes he wore and that he was beautiful without makeup. He would be saying all this while removing the drag queen’s makeup himself. It was a very intense part in the book, and it might’ve been the pressure and the nervousness to perform this scene perfectly that made the two protagonists unable to go further from the moment Makoto would enter Rei’s changing room. It even escalated to the point where the actors, followed by the the staff, ended up laughing uncontrollably as soon as Nino and Aiba made eye contact. After too many failed takes, and countless apologies, Ohno decided to call it a day for everyone.

“We’re still ahead of schedule, so don’t worry. And this will be great in the bonus footages for the bloopers."

Nino sighed, silently agreeing with the director, and he went to his own changing room to change back into his normal clothes. He was about to remove his makeup – that was still untouched since they couldn’t go beyond the beginning of the scene – when he was stopped by Aiba.

“I’m sorry for making you go through this… it must’ve been uncomfortable with your clothes and makeup.”

“It’s not your fault! I think we both know the importance of this scene, and we didn’t want to fuck up. And I’m not that uncomfortable in drags, actually. I’ve gotten used to it, and J is good at making costumes that are not too constrictive.”

Aiba grinned at Matsumoto’s nickname, but he then switched to serious mode, taking the makeup removal products from the table in front of Nino and sitting on the chair next to him, turning him around so they were facing each other. It was like the part of the scene that they couldn’t get to, with the difference that Aiba looked very concentrated, and that he was totally silent. Nino could feel his warm breath on his face, and he didn’t move nor speak, afraid to break the magic of the moment.

When Aiba was done, he smiled softly, in a very different way from his usual grins or flirty smiles. Their eyes met, and Nino couldn’t look away.

“Beautiful.” Aiba whispered, before suddenly standing up. “I’m sure we will do great things tomorrow, Nino! Rest well!”

He then exited the changing room, leaving a very confused Nino, whose heartrate didn’t go down for a while after.


	5. Chapter 5

“Kazama-pon, I’m not going home, so you can leave on your own.”

“I can drive you there. You’re going to Ikuta’s in ni-chome, aren’t you?”

Aiba smiled and nodded.

“Thanks. I need to talk with Toma.”

Ikuta Toma was Aiba’s childhood friend, and ever since they had met in middle school, he had always been very open about liking guys. He had been a very cheerful kid, and his strong personality had made him popular among the other children. Boys admired his sports abilities – he was agile and fast – and girls loved him because he understood them and gave them advice. He had been the one to help Aiba come to terms with his sexuality, and they had gone together to gay bars in Shinjuku ni-chome when they had been old enough to. Now, Toma was the owner of his own little bar there, and Aiba was a regular.

There weren’t a lot of people in the bar when Aiba arrived – it was quite late already – and Toma greeted him with a big smile.

“Aiba-chan! Welcome~” He motioned him to sit in from of him on the bar. “So what is my favorite actor drinking tonight?”

“Something strong, Toma-chan, please.”

“Sure thing, darling!”

Aiba wasn’t disappointed by his drink. Toma knew he had a sweet tooth, so it had the perfect balance of sweetness and strength.

“Are you gonna tell me what’s on your mind, darling? Does it have anything to do with your crush on the Ninomiya boy?”

Aiba had already told Toma about his costar and how cute he was.

 “I’m just being an idiot and acting impulsively.” He then told his friend about the dressing room incident. “I don’t know what came to me. And now, I don’t even know whether I’ll be capable of playing that scene.”

Toma ruffled his hair, refilling his drink for the third time – it seemed like he was diminishing the alcohol quantity though, and Aiba was grateful, because he didn’t need a hangover to be added to his already big worries.

“It’s not just a crush you have, poor darling! You have it bad, don’t you?”

“I’m just… so nervous! This scene is so powerful, and well… it’s also supposed to end with a heated kiss.”

“I think that you are afraid to admit that the raw feelings of that scene are real, and that the kiss might go out of control… maybe?”

Aiba nodded, and he felt his heart rate go up. He would have to kiss Nino. But the kiss was not even the part he was the most worried about. Well, he was worried about it. But how was he going to be able to look at Nino in the eye and tell him all the words that Makoto was supposed to say to Rei?

“Oh poor thing! You should stop overthinking, that doesn’t suit you at all.” The bartender went behind him to give him a brief comforting hug, before going to serve clients that were on a table.

When he came back, the actor looked calmer.

“I think I might as well as come clean before we film.”

“Follow your gut feeling, darling. You’re good at doing that.”

Aiba had made the right choice to go to his childhood friend for advice. He was now ready for the next day of filming.

-

The staff didn’t take a lot of time to set everything up, because most of the equipment was still ready from the day before. Ninomiya was with the makeup artist, who sensed his stress and was trying to make it better with lame jokes. Once he was done, he whispered some encouraging words and went out of the room. Not even a minute later, the door opened. It was Aiba. He was smiling widely, even though he looked a little nervous and awkward.

“You look fabulous, like always, Nino.”

“Thank you. You don’t look so bad either.”

Aiba grinned for a moment before looking at him in a more serious and determined way.

“I wanted to tell you something before we start filming. I know that yesterday we were laughing because of the pressure, and well… because of other… stuff. I also acted in a weird way with you after… and I… I’m not really good at doing that, so I thought that maybe I could borrow someone else’s words for that. What I’m trying to say is… for this scene’s filming, I won’t only be Makoto, but I’ll also be Masaki.”

Nino felt himself blush under the thick layer of makeup. So his feelings weren’t one-sided at all.

“If it’s like this, then this scene won’t only be Makoto’s and Rei’s, but Masaki’s and Kazunari’s, because I don’t think I’ll be able to play it without being true to my feelings either.”

Aiba took his hand and gave it a light kiss.

“Let’s do our best then, Kazunari.”

Aiba Masaki was definitely a big danger for Nino’s heart.

 

When the filming started, they both knew that this was the last take. Everything went so fast, but it was like a dream. And the kiss… Aiba’s lips were so soft…

“And CUT! That was perfect!”

They reluctantly separated, and they looked at each other with timid smiles. Ohno had broken the dream-like bubble that they had been in, but Nino knew that this was just the beginning of something really beautiful.


	6. Chapter 6

Ninomiya was alone in the dressing room when Aiba joined him there. He was back to his normal clothes, and he didn’t have any makeup on. _Beautiful_ , Aiba thought. He had probably said it out loud, because the other man giggled before getting closer to him, putting his arms around his neck and whispering in his ear.

“You’re not that bad yourself, Masaki~”

Aiba smiled against his lips, abandoning himself to the kiss that soon turned into heated making out. Nino was sucking on his tongue and caressing his hair when the door opened. Ohno didn’t look surprised – he was even smirking knowingly. The actors were both blushing, but they were still standing close to each other.

“It’s the second time I interrupt you guys today. I left the cameras roll a little longer than necessary earlier, but I had to stop you before that kiss would turn into whatever I just saw right now!” He looked very amused by Aiba and Nino’s embarrassed smiles. “Don’t worry. I won’t be in the way for very long. I actually wanted to congratulate you guys on today’s filming. It was brilliant acting… well… if I can call that acting. Congratulations on that very spectacular confession, Aiba-san!”

“Thank you, Ohno-san. I’m sorry for not being totally professional on that one, but it was the only way we could make it work.”

“Oh don’t worry about not being professional. You did an exceptional work, and if that made you be together for real, then I’m very happy to have witnessed the start of what will inevitably become a lot of fans’ OTP!”

“OTP?” Aiba was confused, and Nino started laughing.

“One true pairing.” Nino explained. “Fans tend to pair people or fictional characters up. They “ship” them. And Ohno-san thinks that once the movie will be out, we will be shipped to the point that we will be fans’ favorite pairing!”

“Exactly. If I’ve been shipping the two of you since our first meeting, I bet the fans will go wild. You’re not my OTP within this movie team, though.”

Aiba instantly knew who Ohno was thinking about.

“It’s Cherry-san and Matsujun, isn’t it?”

“Correct! Anyway, I have one last thing to say before leaving you two lovebirds alone. If everything goes well, the filming will be done in the first week of December, which is roughly in two weeks. I will leave you now. Enjoy your time together.”

Aiba looked at Nino when the director got out, and he noticed that the other was blushing adorably. He wanted to grab him and kiss him passionately, but he was interrupted once more by a knock on the door. It was Matsumoto this time.

“I know I’m probably interrupting something between the two of you, but I had to verify that Ohno-kun was out of earshot because I need to talk to you without him being around. It’s about his birthday, which is next week. I want to surprise him with a small party with the crew after filming. I’ll be bringing the cake and some members of the staff will bring snacks and drink.”

-

Jun left the dressing room with a satisfied smile on his face. Aiba and Nino were very enthusiastic about the party, and with that, he was successfully done with informing everyone without Ohno noticing. Well, not everyone. There was still _him_. Things had been a little awkward with Sakurai, who was driving Jun crazy, with all the mixed signals and subtle flirting. The man was most of the time timid and proper, but he sometimes surprised him with daring remarks. Jun wanted to spend more time with him and actually get to know the man behind Cherry S., but they only met in a working context, and it was mostly when Jun was preparing Nino, who was amused by the tension between them. Usually, Jun would tease him back with his crush on Aiba, but now the main actors seemed to have confessed and looked very much in love with each other. The scene that was filmed first thing that day had been too real to be acting, and it had been so emotional that it had made Jun cry. He hadn’t been the only one, though.

He made his way to the film set, where he knew that the author liked to linger sometimes – he had wanted to talk to him, but he always ended up observing him a little before going back to the clothing rooms and tidying up the costumes. Sakurai was in Rei’s changing room part of the set, and he was standing in front of the mirror, seemingly deep in thought. Jun got closer in silence, not wanting to disturb the other man.

“When I write my stories, I pour my soul in there, and it’s a very emotional process, especially with scenes like the one that happened in there.” He had apparently noticed that Jun was there, turning around and looking at him with a soft smile. “I would’ve never expected to get to a very similar emotional state while watching people acting it. And well… I kind of ended up ruining my own makeup!”

“A lot of people cried during that scene. Me included. And it wasn’t really acting for those two anyway.” _And you look gorgeous with or without makeup anyway,_ he wanted to add, but he wasn’t able to say that part out loud.

“Are they finally together?”

“I probably interrupted a heated making out session earlier because I needed to talk to them. I also need to talk to you.”

“You got inspired by them and you want to confess your undying love for me?” Sakurai joked with a smirk that made Jun’s heart skip a beat.

“To inform you about Ohno-kun’s surprise birthday party, actually. It’s going to be next week, on Thursday, and we’ll be surprising him with the whole crew after filming.”

“Oh well, not a confession but still a happy thing. Can I help with anything?”

“I will be bringing the cake and some members of the staff with bring snacks and drinks. If you want, you can contribute to the collective gift. Ohno-kun loves fishing, so I’m thinking of going to a specialized shop and choosing some nice lures and equipment.”

“I actually have a really good friend who owns that kind of shop and makes hand-made lures. I could bring you there this weekend if you have some time.”

Jun felt himself bush. It was a good occasion to hang out with Sakurai outside of work.

“I’ll be free on Sunday, if it’s not too much of a bother for you.”

“Not at all!”

They fixed a time and a place, and exchanged numbers, just in case. It was only when he was opening the door to his apartment that Jun realized that he had been smiling on the whole way back home.

 


End file.
